PDS shops eye ISO recognition, to go cashless via digital payment in Tamil Nadu

CHENNAI: The department of cooperation will upgrade the functioning of fair-price shops to meet the quality standards needed to obtain ISO 9000 (quality control), ISO 28000 (supply chain and storage), and FSSAI certificates. It will also introduce a cashless payment system via UPI apps and other modes of digital payment.

“Efforts are being taken to improve the operation of ration shops to meet international quality standards,” minister for cooperation I Periyasamy said in a statement on Friday. There are 34,773 ration shops across TN, of which 33,377 are run by cooperative societies.

Listing out the measures being proposed to improve ration shops, he said small godowns with capacities ranging from 5 to 10 tonnes would be built near ration shops depending on the availability of space. He added that a few ration shops already accepted digital payments and that this would be extended to all the shops across Tamil Nadu.

As for infrastructure, he said 17,473 of 33,377 ration shops functioned in government buildings and 6,981 in rental ones. “An order has been passed to build new buildings for 6,907 ration shops, land has been identified for 862, and administrative sanction has been granted for 243. All the buildings will have toilets,” the minister Periyasamy said.

Land for new buildings

440 sq ft For shops serving fewer than 500 cards

550 sq ft For shops catering to over 500 cards

Sale of 5kg cylinder soon

Periyasamy said the sale of 5kg and 2kg gas cylinders would be launched soon in select shops. Also, the sale of grocery items had been permitted at 892 ration shops. “Iron pallets will be set up in shops for stocking commodities. Rice and wheat will be stocked in stainless steel containers instead of gunny bags,” the minister said